Remember me
by SkyeElf
Summary: Katniss and Peeta just returned from the Capitol and they didn't speak much for a while. What happens when they do? Christmas present for Batmarcus.


**A/N: This is a late Christmas gift to Batmarcus. Hope you like it, madman.**

**I don't own HG.**

**Remember me**

"Katniss?" Peeta asked. I glanced at him over my shoulder at him – he was standing in the doorway, or rather he was leaning against the doorway. His jaw was set and his arms crossed. I hadn't even heard his footsteps.

He had made a wise choice of announcing himself first, otherwise it would be disastrous. And he would possibly be dead or, at the very least, seriously injured.

"Hmm?" I looked back at my hands again. I had his pearl trapped between my thumb and forefinger. I always had it with me, because it reminded me of him. Of us.

It had been a few days since we returned from the Capitol to District 12, and it was just the pair of us and my mother. And that damn cat – the thing just didn't want to die.

My mother was probably making dinner while I was hiding in my bedroom. I didn't know what Peeta did more than half of the time, but I knew he was in the house with us; he always joined us for dinner.

Peeta and I hadn't talked much either. He asked me questions and I answered them without much emotion.

We did play real or not real a few times, but I couldn't handle it anymore. Not at that moment. I wanted to talk to him, but I was terrified of him.

I was scared he would hate me.

I know I did.

I heard Peeta's steps as he walked closer and stopped behind me. His hands slammed down on the bed behind me, but I didn't jump; it was hard to scare me when I was aware of your presence. He leaned over my shoulder and looked at my hands.

"I gave you that," He pointed at the pearl in my hands, "Real or not real?" He whispered into my ear. A shiver ran down my spine but I supressed it. He didn't need to know that his voice made my body react.

"Real." I replied with a nod, blinking repeatedly to stop the tears. I didn't know why I wanted to cry. I missed talking to him, I missed being around him… I missed _him_, but I was terrified of talking to him too.

I turned around to face him. His eyes met mine and something flickered in his eyes. He climbed onto the bed and sat down next to me. It had been the first time in a long while that we were close to one another.

"We're so broken." I said. Those words seemed to capture everything we went through. Words were so useless at the same time, because it couldn't describe what we had gone through.

I heard his breath quiver and felt his hesitation. He finally took my hand and gave it a squeeze. The gesture was one we had shared so many times, yet this time it was infinitely more intimate.

"No, we're not," He said lightly, "We're just a little bent." He smiled softly at me, "We're still alive, Katniss. We aren't who we were when this started out and we both lost a lot, but we're still alive."

"I don't think it's worth it." I said. "Prim is gone. My dad is gone. Your family is gone… Gale left…" I was sobbing at this point. Peeta's hand left mine and he put his arms around me. He whispered soothing things to me. And I was scandalised that he had to comfort me. Again.

"I'm still here." He said, kissing the top of my head.

"You're not always here." I said pointedly.

He pulled away from me, but kept his arms around me. I looked up at him and saw a smirk on his face.

"I _am_ here, Katniss. And I'm not going anywhere." He said. "I know we haven't talked much, but that's why I came here right now."

I didn't know what to say. I was never good at showing my emotions… it was touching. Him, finding me, was something I didn't expect.

"I'm sorry." I said softly. Peeta's arms retracted and he put a hand under my chin. He forced me to look at him.

"It's okay. I'm sorry too." He smiled at me. A smile I hadn't seen in a long time – a smile that instantly warmed my heart. _I was in love with him, wasn't I?_ I didn't love him, but I was in love with him. There was a difference. And I would allow myself this. I would allow myself to be in love with him, because I think I deserved a little bit of happiness.

I think I had been in love with him for a while, but never allowed myself to feel it.

"You know, "His voice was almost playful, and the light in his eyes made me smile at him again, "I've never kissed you… because I wanted to… and it wasn't our lives being threatened…"

I was a hardened person, I had survived two Hunger Games, after all… and I was _blushing_ like a school girl at that moment.

"Can I?" He asked, his hand slipping me from my chin to my neck. _That_ made my arms break out in goosebumps.

I put my hands on his chest and surged forward, pressing my lips against his. I could tell by his lack of response that he didn't expect it, but soon his hands found my waist and he responded.

My mouth moved against his, my lips pressing against his, urgently, as he enveloped me in his arms. I pushed him down so he was lying back and I was on top of him, my lips no once leaving his.

This time our hands wandered, touching the other on the neck, pulling at hair, arms, waists, backs… caressing each other, until we had to breathe and I pulled back, falling onto the bed beside him.

We were next to one another, our hands entwined, out of breath.

"That was…" Peeta couldn't find a word to describe it. A simple kiss had stolen his breath – I wonder what… _other_ activities would do to him.

"Yeah." Was all I could say. Peeta kissed my hand and held it to his chest. I could feel his heart beating – it was beating incredibly fast. Then he sat up leaning on one elbow, and he leaned closer to me.

"You're in love with me. Real or not real?" He whispered to me, his breath swimming over my cheeks.

I took a moment before I answered. "Real."

He grinned at me, "Good, so we're in the same boat."

"For once." I added. He laughed again, pressing a sweet kiss to my lips. He swept my hair out of my eyes and gazed down at me. He was smiling that smile – the smile from the first time we met. The one from the first games, before everything happened.

"We can start our… romance, shall I say? We'll start again." He raised an eyebrow.

"At the very beginning?" I raised a playful eyebrow. "Where you tossed me some burnt bread? Or the first games where you confessed to the entire Panem that you were in loved with me?"

He pretended to think about it. "No, I like us like we are now. We should just… talk more."

"I agree." I mumbled, curling up to his side. "I missed this."

"So did I." He folded his arms around me again. And this is what I wanted. Us.

. . .


End file.
